Ah, the Pageant!

*Melissa*

With the windshield wipers going full-on, we drove along the beach back in to town. It wasn’t hard to spot the collection of cars, and spot the goofy looking characters marching along the streets. We parked, and quickly made our way over to watch the pageant.

“Pageant” here in Australia is a fancy word for parade. Not kiddos on a stage singing songs or performing renditions of Shakespeare, or beauties trying (usually unsuccessfully) to prove that they are more than a pretty face. Just a good old fashioned parade with a marching band, decorated floats, people throwing candy to the little ones, and even the fire-truck tooting its horn. Yes, all in the pouring rain. It was fantastic!

It made me feel all warm and fuzzy to see the festivities – everyone smiling, dressed in soaking wet penguin costumes, and prancing around in elf outfits. My favorite was the 60-year-old marching bandleader who kept stopping and stomping in the rain puddles to splash the players behind him in time to the music. And what parade would be complete without a waving Santa at the end of the line? they need more Christmas parades back home!

All warm and fuzzy – and a bit homesick – on the inside, and cool as a frozen cucumber on the outside, we sped back to the comfort of our cozy hotel bed and lucked out to find an amazingly intriguing movie on TV. But our luck didn’t stop there. Just as we got to the crux of an intriguing movie we discovered on TV, everything went black, followed by the familiar whir of dying electricity. It was silent. And Dark. And it lasted for over an hour, causing us to miss the end of our movie.

So, there we were: No snorkeling, No penguins, and not even the pleasure of finishing a good movie. Not a single tan line to show for our weekend getaway!

On the way home, we visited the lovely – but utterly small and relatively empty – McLaren Vale, and topped off our trip with Mission Impossible 4 in V-Max. Quite a different lot than we had planned for!! With Christmas just around the corner, maybe fate is just saving up the good stuff for the holiday weekend!!

A Winter Wet Christmas

The wettest year for…years. Many of them. HEAPS of them. Queensland has seen it’s wettest month in the last 123 of them. Wet. Rainy. Grey. It sounds closer to Christmas weather back home than I would like, given the fact that we are in Australia. I love how all these “rumors” about the hot weather, boiling summer days, and sweaty, sunburned Christmases are all starting to seem like “hearsay” - like the rumors you tell your best mates back home in the states to make them jealous while the snowstorms roll in.

After our exciting jaunt in the hills, we decided that this past weekend we would “get away from it all” – leave town for the night, and escape to the sleepy little town of Victor to see some penguins, catch some sun, and maybe do a bit of snorkeling. We booked a room that boasted about its ocean views and the pictures looked impressive. So, when Friday came, we decided to fore-go the late-night movie so we could get an early start and catch the Saturday markets along the way.

Much to our incredible disappointment, we woke up to another morning of grey skies, thick moist air, and the promise of rain. We packed the car, swung by the bakery for breakfast, and hit the road.

The Willunga Market was our first stop. I have a strange soft spot for Weekend markets, and the Willunga Saturday Market is boasted to be, quite possibly, the best Market in South Australia. After a bit of directional upheaval, thanks to Adelaide’s lack of street sign postage, we found our way to this tiny little town on the outskirts of famed “McLaren Vale Wine Country”. When I saw the little white tents of the booths, I couldn’t wait to go see what Willunga had to offer. Aside from the typical fruits, veggies, honey, and breads, I was thrilled to try some Lavender Brownies, and Lavender Fudge – which is exactly what it sounds like. Brownies and Fudge infused with Lavender. Chad found them a bit too strange, but I couldn’t believe how tasty they were!! Perhaps when I find time to experiment with my cooking again I will have to seek out a recipe.

We also tried Dessert Limes – tiny itsy bitsy limes about the size of a pea. You pop the whole dang thing in your mouth and chew. About the tartest thing you can imagine as it pops against your cheek! I didn’t know that limes could possibly form in such a tiny package!

We rolled in to Victor Harbor about an hour later. Much to our dismay, as we parked the car in front of a pub with the intention of having a Butchers (“Browse” for those of you who have forgot lol), the refreshing drizzle transformed into a downpour. We must have browsed through every shop in town before turning up at the restaurant with a name out of Chad’s Dreams- Schnitzel Encounters. For those of you keeping track, mark another one that doesn’t live up to our good ol’ Seaview Chicken and Fish standard.

With no end to the storm in sight, we decided to check in to our room in hopes of catching the lightning rolling in over the ocean. We got our keys, were given directions to the room, and threw open our curtains to the most gorgeous view of… the building across the way- which was about 3 meters. Exasperated, we had no other choice but to nap.

Because of mine and Chad’s incredible indecisiveness when it comes to eating out, we rely on recommendations and reviews quite heavily. So when the hotel manager started going on about this great eatery that Chad and I had already decided on from its online reviews, we were thrilled to go. A quaint little place called the Beach House, with superb wood-fired pizzas. Coincidentally, a great place to eat in a storm – we watched the rain pour down in buckets, and heard the pitter-patter of rain on the tin-shed roof, and listened to the grumble of thunder rattle the windows. It wasn’t snorkeling, but I love me a good thunderstorm!!

We were all set to return to the hotel for a lazy night with a TV movie, when the cashier made a comment about the weather. “Well,” he said, looking at his watch “the pageant started off around 6, so just imagine how they’re goin’!”

Once we scrambled into the car, Chad and I looked at each other with the same expression. Pageant? We’ve got to see this!!

Oh, The Lights!

*Melissa*

While Chad experienced something spiritual with his Darwinian brother, I cooed at the sight of all the other furry, prickly, and downright adorable creatures – that was until we entered the “typically Australian” roo pen. All sorts of roos were to be fed in this enormous fenced in area that you could wander through at your leisure. Some fat, lethargic lazy yellowtail roo welcomed us just inside the gate, finding the strength to hoist himself up from the ground and waddle over to fetch the crackers from our hands. Great start! We thought. The other roos, however, seemed to be resisting our crackers – even the fancy albinos, much to our disappointment. That was, however, until we found the fluffy roos congregating towards the other end of the enclosure. With faces resembling my beloved great Danes, I had to coax them into letting me pet them. Within minutes, the little guys had caught on that we had something tasty, and one of the big ones was trying to win my heart with a hug. Ok – so this hug may have resembled “mauling” or “trampling” or even “groping” – as his paws dove down my V-neck shirt, and scraped along my hips. His giant bunny feet stayed on the ground, so I was safe. I counted myself lucky to walk away with only a scratched up chest.

As we strolled out of the park, we found that we were the only car left in the entire parking lot, and I was pleased as a peach, feeling like our admission was some of the best-spent dollars in our whole 6 months!

Our next stop was Lobethal – a site I was equally excited about. Lobethal is renowned in South Australia for their Christmas Lights. Even my travel book mentioned the “Lights of Lobethal” in December, where the whole down gets decked out with Christmas Spirit (and lights, of course!). Chad seemed to be less enthused, not quite grasping the whole idea of it all. I, having been feeling a bit homesick with the holiday festivities, was determined to change his attitude about it… that was, until we rolled into town at 6… and the whole shindig wasn’t to start till 8:30. To make a long story short, we ended up acquainting ourselves with Lobethal better than any other South Australian town (i.e. the one main road about 3 blocks long). We visited the Christmas market where we bought some local berries, we ate some hotdogs, and some hot sugary donuts. I gobbled down some delicious local berries with homemade ice cream and whipped cream, and we waited until 8:30. And then the magic happened. We were impressed that Jesus was making a personal appearance in such a small out-of-the-way town, as advertised on the billboard: “Baby Jesus here LIVE! TONIGHT ONLY!” We watched the streets light up. We drove around with the Christmas Playlist on, gawking at the festive decorations. It was a bit chilly, but we had the windows rolled down, and there wasn’t a snowflake in sight. The sight of the lights made me feel all warm and fuzzy, and for the rest the ride home, all I could think of was home, and the traditional drive-thru of the neighborhoods Dad had always insisted on to see the lights when I was tiny; and the smell of wood smoke drifting up into the freezing night air as families nestled down for the night.

My Australian Ancestors

*Chad*

This blog posting is a bit late and I have to take complete responsibility for that fact. I can’t say I have a good reason for it, but I guess I just let time get away. I digress.

A few weeks ago Melissa and I took a Sunday and went for a bit drive to find out what lies just outside the Adelaide area. Melissa had found an interesting drive that included a lot of interesting and uniquely Australian sites but little did I know that this seemingly innocent day trip Melissa had planned would actually turn into a shocking glimpse into my own ancestry.

We packed our cameras, a few snacks, and headed off out of town towards Hahndorf (a sleepy German town a few kilometers outside of the city in the Adelaide Hills). The drive always reminds me of Southern Oregon. Granted the trees are different and we drive on the wrong side of the road here in Australia, but I still think the feel and the overall appearance is strikingly similar. Once off the main roads, you drive through sweeping fields of green and brown, past homes that seem strangely removed from the modern world and through forests that appear suddenly only to be lost again in the rear view mirror. The roads narrow, the traffic thins and you know you’re in the country. Our first stop was in a little country town called Balhannah. It had been a good few hours since brekky and, naturally, I was famished. We pulled into a small shopping area that consisted of a Coles grocery store, a bottle shop and a few restaurants. Melissa and I stood for a few minutes trying to decide which café to try when a group of local kids rolled by on push-bikes talking about how they had just enough money for “chips” at a shop around the corner. I heard chips (French fries to us Yanks) and was instantly committed. The café was small but busy. The menu boasted a list of local ingredients and a few Australian style desserts. One thing I have really grown to love about South Australia is that they are very much into eating local, fresh and organic meats and produce. Brad would be proud to know that I have been eating free range eggs, fresh fruits and veg since arriving in Australia. No canned or frozen foods here (except, of course, the occasional can of Dr. Pepper)! After a delicious lunch we jumped back on the road and headed to a South Australian institution: Melba’s chocolate shop.

Melbas chocolate shop has been producing sweets for years in a few different places in South Australia but this particular shop was old, very old. Because Melissa is a fan of anything with the word chocolate involved she as excited as a kid in a…well…candy shop, to see a real, old school, operating chocolate shop. The building was a large open room with a lot of smaller rooms around the perimeter and bins of various as sundries lining the center. Each room was a different stage in the sweet making process; some rooms had chocolate some had hard candies while others were packaging. The center of the room was filled with chocolates, hard candies, gummy treats and other odds and ends. A lot of the candy seemed strange to me and some of it just down right terrible. I will never be into chocolate covered gummy snakes or chocolate apricots. Aniseed flavored things are very popular in South Australia; another sweet that would never agree with my taste buds.

After leaving the chocolate shop, we drove a few more kilometers to a nature reserve were we hoped to see some native Australian animals. After paying what I consider to be a massive amount of money to see animals in cages we started out by watching people line up to hold a chunky little koala. Melissa and I decided that the que wasn’t worth the photo op and we headed off towards what sounded like a bird being violently eaten. We rounded the corner past a few peacocks and a small pond housing two small gators over to a small bamboo walled enclosure. We immediately found the source of all the strange noises. Inside we watched three otters sprinting from one end of the cage to other chasing a small black and orange bird that had gotten trapped in the enclosure. It was by far one of the more hilarious things I have ever seen. The bird was safe as long as it stayed on the far side of a small wire fence, but the otters intently watched the birds every move chasing after it as it ran around trying to find a way out. In the rest of the park we found various birds, different kangaroos, wombats, and a couple echidnas. What I found most interesting was the flying fox area. I had never seen a flying fox that close up before but they are awesome creatures. Hanging from the ceiling by their feet, they would hang upside down eating a bit of lunch with their hand like wings.

Although I found the flying foxes very interesting, the next cage may have changed my life. The next cage was home to a group of capuchin monkeys. Now I have always considered myself a fan of climbing trees, swing on ropes, and jumping around on various structures so I already had a connection with monkeys. As Melissa and I walked up to the cage, a couple monkeys wondered over to get a closer look at us. We had bought a package of “animal crackers” before entering the park and Melissa and I had a few left over. I held out a cracker to see if I could get a monkey to take the thing out of my hand, and then it happened. Instead of taking the cracker from my hand, the little fella reached out with his miniature human hand and grabbed my finger. He didn’t just grab my hand and pull away in a mistaken attempt to get food. No no! He reached out purposely, grabbed my hand and looked into my soul! It was like my long lost ancient ancestor was holding my hand and saying “hello mate”. It was just fantastic. Here I was in South Australia, thousands of miles from home, and here was this little ancient relative holding my index finger. Then, just like that, he let go, grabbed the cookie from my hand and swung away. It was amazing. The rule of thumb here is that you will never know what’s around the corner or what sort of connection you’re going to make. The park was fantastic and I was grateful to have met a long lost member of my family in Australia.

Christmas Celebrations with the Flinders Family

*Chad*

We got a bit sun burned in December! That just sounds strange to say as an American but that’s what’s goin on; Australian sun burns for Christmas. Now that the weather has gotten markedly better, Melissa and I have been venturing out to the beach (with the rest of South Australia) for some sun bathing and a quick splash in the bay. I am really looking forward to the long days of summer and shark season! Someone told me the other day that sharks tend to come into some of the bays around here during the summer months. That’s exciting and a bit scary all at the same time. Even though I have had a chance to see a great white shark during a cage dive (http://sharkdiver.com/) I did a few years ago, my dream is to be outside of a cage while in the presence of a shark. At this point any shark will do but in the long run I have a list of sharks I would like to see in the open. Anyway, I’ve begun rambling.

Melissa and I have been going to a lot of Christmas celebrations lately. Our South Australian hospital family has gone out of their way to make sure that Melissa and I are included in everything possible this holiday season. We have been to a radiographers Christmas party, a South Australia Institute of Radiography Christmas party and even a Pain Management Clinic Christmas party (and we only know a couple people from the Pain Clinic). Even though I am extremely grateful for everyone’s hospitality and for the invitations, the Pain Clinic party this past weekend was the best of them all. No screaming loud music or super high end restaurant, just some people gathering at the bosses house for an early dinner, good company and some live music. People brought the families and different types of foods and then just sat around eating, chatting, telling stories, playing music and watching the young ones go nuts in the pool. And for those of you who know me well, yes it was really hard for me to stay out of the pool! The party was held at a doctor’s place up in the Adelaide hills just outside a German town called Handorf. As we pulled off the road onto the long dirt driveway, Melissa and I noticed a field of highland steer coming over to greet us. I had never seen a Highland steer and I assume Melissa hadn’t either. Consequently, we instantly burst into hysterics. Here is this massive animal with large white horns protruding laterally from the most ridiculous looking head you could put on an animal. The things walk around with a huge head of bangs that hang down over their eyes. They just stood in the field, chewing away with their ginger bangs obscuring their eyes. It was hilarious. The food was a plethora of different types of meats, pizzas, fruits and breads. Truly a carnivore’s meal if I have ever seen one. We had chicken tandoori, lamb chops, garlic prawns, pork fillets and spicy beef all cooked in a homemade pizza oven! I have decided that every red blooded male should have a wood pizza oven. Later in the evening Edmond, Monty, Lachlan, and Dilip all took turns playing various guitars. It was great to sit back, relax and eat my weight in food. We are both very thankful to have been invited to spend the afternoon on “the ranch”.

Melissa and I forgot to write about a little surprise we had a few weeks ago. At about 2:30 in the morning we awoke to what sounded like a train rolling past the front yard. A few nanoseconds after that, the windows and doors shook violently for a very brief second. Then, it was done. I was sure that Australia didn’t have earthquakes but after checking a web page, it turns out that this area has a lot of really small earthquakes on a fairly regular basis. In the end nothing broke and no one was hurt, just another cool little something to add to our list.

I think that’s about it for me. Thanks for checking in and we both hope that you are all happy, safe and enjoying your holiday season. We will be missing you all from the beach this Christmas.

Skipping Thanksgiving

*Melissa*

It has been way too long since I have chatted with ya’ll – although some of you I was lucky enough to get in touch with over the (American) holiday this past week. Ah yes, Thanksgiving – that’s the one I am referring to!! The turkey, the stuffing, the homemade rolls and gravy made with real drippings. The cranberry sauce, fluffy mashed potatoes, and yams topped with toasted marshmallows. Delicious!! And we didn’t eat any of it ): No, in fact November 24^th for Chad and I couldn’t have been more benign: a full day at work, a bus-ride home, a quick steak grilled in a pan for dinner, and some work-up on our project.

What project, you ask? Well, the project that has been delaying our blog posts for the past couple weeks! You see, Michael and the big boss – CP, have asked Chad and me to give a presentation on the radiology structure at OIT, and in the US. First to our colleagues at work (this Thursday and Friday), and then – with any luck – the National AIR conference in Sydney. No pressure or anything, but this is a HUGE deal for us! I can’t think of any greater privilege than to be able to present at an International Conference before we are even graduates! So, as you can imagine, Chad and I have been in a frenzy trying to weave together an amazing, interesting, and informative presentation. Our apologies for the lapse on blogging.

Our experiences here in the meantime have kept us busy as well. I have been trying to get to the bottom of my “not feeling well”, and then lo and behold Chad caught a bug. We’re both –and I say this tentatively – mended, at least for the time being.

All the holiday business looming about has caused quite the kafuffle about foods, and both the folks at work, and the family back home get a kick hearing about our international eating habits. For instance: apples & peanut butter – a lunchbox essential, yea? They think we’re crazy here. Peanut butter and jelly? What’s wrong with us. And the most decadent treat of crispen toast, gooey honey, smothered with warm peanut butter and topped with cool bananas? We should be put in the Margaret Tobin Center (Flinders Mental Health ward). And the Aussies think we’re the crazy ones for not loving Vegemite!!

Try telling Australians about my family tradition of mashed yams topped with toasty marshmallow for Thanksgiving and I got repeated incredulous responses of “for dessert?!” “No! For a side dish!” I corrected, and each and every one of them raised their eyebrows. Chris gave his standard response of “You yanks and your sweet-tooth”. The only thing better was when I called Dad to hear what he was preparing for Thanksgiving dinner (yams), and then a phone call to Mum the next day to hear she was heating up leftovers for Gramma of what other than…yams? I’m tellin’ ya – I have never missed yams more!

Yes – it was definitely nice to talk to some of the family back home. We still haven’t gotten around to all our loved ones yet, but just being able to lounge around for an hour or so, chatting about foods, and what’s new, plans for Christmas, and even (already) what needs to be done when we get home… it was really nice.

A Big Red Suit, and A Big Red Nose (And I don't mean Rudolph)

*Melissa*

There is just something so WRONG about wandering the shops, seeing flashing mechanical Santa rotating around with his arm waving at you, shuffling through boxed cards with snowmen, glitter, and furry reindeers gracing their covers, and seeing Christmas pines lit up at K-Mart. Here I am wandering the shops in flip-flops, shorts, and tank tops, gawking at the youngsters with their bum cheeks hanging out of their shorty-shorts and the boys not far behind, and I’m passing lit up wreaths and plex-glass snowmen while Jingle-Bells blares from every speaker. This just doesn’t feel right. Wasn’t there another holiday coming up anyways? Something involving Turkeys and pigging out on food like we’ve been in famine for the past 9 months or something?

Last weekend officially kicked off the “Christmas season” here in Adelaide, with the HUGE annual “Credit Union Christmas Pagent” – the equivalent of the Macy’s parade for New York… although I’m pretty sure that has to do with another holiday, too, doesn’t it? We were told by many that it was the “Event of the year” – aside from “The Show” (Adelaide’s “State Fair”) and WOMAdelaide (a mini-Woodstock) and that we needed to go. Reluctantly, we decided to take it in to consideration since “we may never have the opportunity again”, and when the paper arrived the night before, we sought out the details.

I was a bit dumbfounded to see the pamphlet for The Pagent decorated with clowns – the theme for the year was: “Celebrate the Clown Within”, and they were asking everyone who came to wear a red clown nose to try and break the world record for, what else? Most people gathered in one place wearing clown noses! (Don’t believe me? Check it out at: cupagent.com.au!) The inner pages were decorated with fairies and flowers (and more clowns) and warning people that they should have their spot along the parade route reserved by 4:30 am. The roads to the city would be closed off by 6 am, and the expected attendance was 350,000 people. I nearly choked. When we examined the photos from last years event, and realized a hefty portion of those in attendance would be under the age of 10, we decided we couldn’t be bothered. We slept in the next morning until 9 instead.

This weekend (the 5^th one before Christmas!!) Chad and I were blind-sided by the arrival of the “Radiographer’s Christmas Party”. It snuck up on us rather quickly! We braved the Marion Shopping Centre (our ‘Mall’) in search of a casual dress shirt for Chad, and were in awe and the hoards of people scrambling, screaming, scowling, and dragging their children through the shops. Chad made a comment about how miserable everyone looked, and I told him my secret of staring at a point above the crowds in order to keep my anxiety from overtaking me in the swarms. The high point was when I overheard a woman complaining that one of the small stores we all happened to be in wasn’t playing Christmas music.

That afternoon, we got cleaned up, and I slipped in to one of the summer dresses that has been stashed in the closet for almost a year because it was always so cold in Klamath Falls. I slid my toes into a pair of open-toed, backless heels, and Chad and I climbed into our co-worker’s car to head to the Pub the party was at. It was when we were all rolling the windows down to let in the cooler air that oddness of it hit me again – Christmas in Summer. In shorts. Hearing “White Christmas” playing over a radio.

I have always wanted to experience this – a “tropical” summer Christmas. Chad’s always dreamed about a palm-Christmas-tree, decorated with colored lights. But I can’t help but feel like something is missing. Christmas the world over is simply a “winter holiday” – you can’t argue that snowmen, reindeer, and a Santa Suit are the icons of the season, and they just don’t work in the Southern Hemisphere! Maybe it really is just all about what you grew up with, and maybe that’s why Adelaide has turned to clowns and fairies - to help them balance the snowy hymns and décor. As for me, though? I can’t help but wonder if I could ever get used to this. Where’s my Turkey dinner? Where’s my Black Friday ads that we stay up till midnight looking at on Tome and Gordon’s couch, trying to convince ourselves we should battle the crowds a few hours later? Where’s the annual whinging of picking out our Christmas tree with the snow flakes flying and trying to fit it on top of the old KIA? The stockings, and pile of Christmas presents growing under the tree…

This year we will definitely see how the other half of the world does it, and what this “Mele Kalikimaka” business is all about!

Summer Lovin'

*Melissa*

FINALLY we’ve caught a break here, and the weather has decided to pick up! We’ve had almost a week where we’ve been able to leave the jackets at home, and still be comfortable by the time we get home! It’s been lovely – although the humidity is definitely something else!! South Australia is purportedly the “driest state in Australia”, but I’m from Utah. And UTAH gets dry heat in the summer. This crap we’ve been dealing with here? NOT dry heat – at ALL! I would WELCOME that dry heat, because the humidity just makes everything “sticky”, especially our uniforms! Just this morning we were waiting for our bus at 8 am, and we couldn’t help moaning about our pant legs groping our legs like baby koalas on their mama’s backs! It just makes it that much hotter when your clothes cling to you with every move. BUT! It’s warm – HOT even – and that’s what we were waiting for.

The weekends, needless to say, are getting a bit better with this fine change in the weather. We’ve been able to wander around the beaches and pick up a bit of the “brown” on our arms and legs – a definite improvement from our pasty complexions from Klamath Falls. This past weekend, we got quite a bit of the sunny stuff when we took a Kayaking tour through a “Dolphin Sanctuary and Shipwreck Graveyard” with SA Adventure Kayaking. I was nervous when Chad and I had both been feeling under the weather in the days surrounding it (and even after!) but it turned out to be lovely!

It was the first time Chad and I have seen dolphins in the wild, frolicking around on their own accord. Some of them got pretty close to the kayaks! We paddled around for 15 minutes or so, trying to catch glimpses of their fantastic little flippers breaking the water, and then paddled off to see one of the oldest iron ships in all of Australia, ironically called the San Diego! After that, we got to wander a bit through some Mangrove forests. They weren’t too exciting, but it was the first time I’ve ever done anything like it! And a great way to start the morning, and the weekend! In fact, after that, the rest of the day was almost TOO hot!

By: the Author

*Melissa*

We have had a suggestion from one of you followers about some confusion as to who is writing which posts. We take this to heart, so we will now be heading our posts with either CHAD or MELISSA to designate who wrote them. We think this will avoid having to scroll down to the end of the post to see who wrote it. If you have any other suggestions on ways to improve our posts, or if there's anything in particular that you'd like to hear us write about - just email us!!! We love to hear from you, and you don't even need to be a registered follower to do this!!

Thanks for following!

Chad's Ramblings

The days have begun to last a little longer and we have had a few days of warmer weather; summer is on the way for sure. The warmer weather always makes me think of home, family and friends. Summer has always been my favorite time of the year. The longer days and warmer weather meant boat trips with Gordon, camping at one of the lakes, camp fires with friends and lots of BBQs. Summer in SA means the ocean turns a fantastic shade of turquoise and becomes more inviting every day. I made the mistake of succumbing to the oceans siren like cries the other day; instantly regretting the idea. The water looks fantastic but it’s still a bit of a trick, its freezing! I am looking forward to trying some new outdoor water adventures though. Now that the weather is improving, its time to make the most of being south of the equator: Melissa and I are planning on taking a kayaking exercise class and a kayaking dolphin tour.

Unfortunately the pastry shops that line the streets have gotten the better of me and I have, once again, managed to pack on some pounds of insulation. Not a good thing when it’s supposed to be getting into the upper 90’s. On the topic if weights, I finally figured out what the heck a “stone” is (didn’t even need goolge). I was in the CT department helping out and I happen to notice a scale in the corner of the room. The face of measured body weight in kilograms and stones! I was so excited I think I might have laughed out loud. For those of us who might not be up on British measurements, 1 stone is about 6 kilograms (over that really) and 1 kilogram is about 2.2 pounds. Learning CAN be fun!

Melissa and I have been wandering further and further outside of the areas that we normally frequent, discovering new places and hidden treasures around South Australia. I’m sure that local people think nothing of our “hidden places” around Adelaide, but for two foreign college students it’s exciting to see a new street or see an interesting new restaurant. Not to mention the fact that it makes getting on the wrong bus a bit more exciting. One thing I have to say about Adelaide in general is that people drive like crazy. Crossing a street, even while using a cross walk, can be life threatening: just the other day I almost became a hood ornament for a little old man driving in station wagon. I needed to get across two lanes of traffic. So I, being the courteous gentleman that I am, waited until the traffic had come to a dead stop before running for my life. The lane closest to me was clear and the lane farthest from me had bumper to bumper traffic, which had come to a full stop. I looked toward the direction of traffic and steeped into the street just in time to hear the sound of screeching breaks. I had just enough time to slide my feet back and pull my hands out of the way. The car slid to a stop and I fell forward onto the right front side panel. I instantly shot a glance at the driver, ready to dispense a verbal lashing that he/she would not soon forget. The poor guy was about a thousand years old with his eyes wide and his hands over his mouth. After seeing his expression I decided to keep the lashing for someone more deserving. Just goes to show ya, always watch for the guy trying to jump the que.

Such a Gory Halloween

It was 2:32 am, according to my ipod touch, when I awoke. I couldn’t tell if it was the pressing need to go to the bathroom or the loud thumping and muffled yelling that had done it first. There was a faint light glowing at the base of the door, so I knew someone had turned the kitchen light on. I reasoned it was our flat-mate, and because I was worried I would give him a scare by seeing my 3-am face and out-of-control mop of hair, I tried to wait it out, listen for the light to go off and whomever it was to wander back to bed. I waited, and waited, not hearing anything but silence, and I couldn’t take it. I propped open the door, and the glowing light from the kitchen filled out living room and stung my eyes as I poked my head around the bedroom door, peeking into the kitchen. And that’s when I saw Sid Vicious lying face down on the floor, right outside our door.

We had gotten invited to a Halloween shin-dig that some fellow Halloween-loving American down the road was putting on. It was a bit late in the game, and after a week, Chad and I still hadn’t come up with any fantastic low-cost ideas for costumes to fit the theme: 80’s horror. It didn’t help that it was our last week at Repat, and our last week before our enormous Flinders Site Profile was due. So, alas, we said farewell as the flat-mate headed out the door dressed in suspenders, rolled up jeans, and a spraypainted tee, reeking of hairspray and gel. We’d spent the last hour listening to muffled Sex Pistols songs as he channeled the “Sid Vicious” character he was dressed as.

Sulking and second-guessing our choice to not go, Chad and I nestled down with some chicken tacos and an awful rented movie called “The Living Wake”, which taught us that just because Jim Gaffigan is in something doesn’t mean it’s good. And then we called it a night.

At first glance, after seeing our flat-mate face planted into the floor at 2:32, I reasoned he was simply too pissed when he got home, had fallen (explaining the yelling), and passed out on the floor. I sat back down on the edge of the bed, and looked at Chad. “What?” he asked, and I told him about Sid. We laughed, and pondered what to do about making it to the bathroom.

We decided to think of other things, and crawled back into the warmth of the covers, before Chad happened to say “I hope he’s OK…he’s laying kind of funny” to which I responded “Maybe you should go check that he’s not lying in a pool of blood” joking that he may have hit his head when he fell. It’s a good thing that at this point, Chad did in fact go check on him.

I heard some mumbling from both Chad and Mr. Vicious, and couldn’t resist going out to check the scene. My jaw dropped when I realized the scope of the situation. Chad was crouched down, looking at our flat-mate’s hand, which was caked with blood. There was a dark broad trail of maroon dots splashed over the entire floor. The counter was coated in blood, the pots and pans were decorated with polka dots, and a rolls of paper towels was doused with coppery-tinged water. As we walked to the bathroom, we saw the trail continued in from the front door.

In amazement at the sight, we told our flat-mate we had to take him to the hospital. The blood was from a gash on his hand, and it obviously needed attention – not to mention some fluids from all the blood loss. As we walked out the door, we saw that the trail continued – and you could convince yourself that someone had been stabbed and was running from a serial killer if you wanted to. Very Halloween.

After leaving him in the care of a couple nurses who made it quite clear they were tired of patients for the night, we came home to try and clean up the trauma scene, and tried to catch a couple final hours of sleep.

The next morning, we awoke in disbelief of what had happened a mere few hours earlier. Our flat-mate had asked if we could bring him a few things, and we took our time to get dressed and ready. We lucked out at this point as well – as we were getting ready to walk out the door, I went to grab the mail and the good ol’ red and blue pulled up and hopped out of the car. I couldn’t help but laugh, as I told them “ yea, I thought this might happen”. Someone had seen a trail of blood outside their house, and called it in. They had followed it to our house.

It’s amazing to think how far our flat-mate walked home, after falling and cutting himself so badly. And I’m REALLY glad that we ended up checking on him! Who knew that our first trauma would be not at a hospital, but at our own house?!!

Saying Goodbye to Repat

What was that whizzing by? Was that…it was!... October!! I honestly can’t believe it! It seems like I was just whining about PM shifts and had just gotten to Repat, and then all of a sudden we are saying our goodbyes! It was a fantastic 4 weeks where we got to work with some really lovely people. An oddball here and there, but I can’t complain about any of them!

It was definitely a learning curve, as we got to do exams that Flinders doesn’t do on a regular basis – some oblique spines, some chiropractic spines, lots of recovery knees (which means they get done using the portable machine!) lots and lots of shoulders with views we hadn’t seen before going to Repat. We also got to work with different machines, like the fully automated Siemens System – impressive, but definitely not my favorite! As a student, I want to practice using my markers and angling to tube when I need to. With the fully automated system, the darn thing does it all! It did my head in being told to take my markers OFF after the drilling we’ve gotten for the past couple years!!

Since Repat also handles ALL the urology cases in the area, we also got a chance to see lots of RGP’s (Retrograde Pyelograms – where they look at the kidneys, ureters, and bladder with a scope and dye) cystograms (looking at the bladder, especially bladder tumors and bladder cancer) and laparoscopic studies. I even got to see a fascinating orthopedic case dealing with a non-union fracture, where they plated the bone, and put crunched up bone pieces into the fracture site to promote healing.

By the time the end of the month approached, they had grown to like us a little bit. They even invited us back to their big BBQ event on Monday. We took a half-day to mosey on back and munch on some goodies – since one of the sonographers is also a chef, how could we refuse? We liked them so much, that we even asked to come back in the Spring… or Fall, however you look at it. And seeing how fast October has whizzed by, it won’t be long!!

We're Coming!

I know, I know - It has been WAY too long!! All sorts of things happening, and you wanting to hear about them, and us just sitting over here without posting any of it! Well, we've been bogged down in completing our "Flinders Site Profile" for OIT. Have no fear!! It is due this weekend, and then we will promptly return to blabber on about our time at Repat in no time!!

See you in a bit!!

Bloody Weekends, Zip By Too Fast!

We are constantly bombarded by the locals in incredulous disbelief that we aren’t traveling the country on the weekends. It seems like we are expected to be traveling cross-country constantly. Darwin the first weekend of October, Brisbane this Thursday for a 3 day weekend, maybe a quick jaunt to Sydney to catch a concert the last weekend of the month. It is often, for me anyways, a bit disheartening. It is hard to explain to those who are working and earning a paycheck, and driving around in their personal vehicles that we are STUDENTS, who are working 40-hour work weeks without a paycheck (and in fact PAYING to work via tuition) living in a foreign country and relying on public transportation. Not to mention that rather than getting the 4 weeks annual vacation leave that they are granted, we have but 20 lovely days (including holidays).

But this weekend, we were able to actually do something. No vacations or trips or anything real exotic, but at least I can say “YES!” to the question “Did you get up to anything over the weekend?”

Exhausted from our first week of re-learning at Repat, Chad and I decided to head to the city on Friday with a hankering for some Sushi Train (the first fantastic sushi we’ve had since arriving in Australia!) and hoping to finally make it to Willem Dafoe’s new movie “The Hunter”. We always forget what an overwhelming experience it is in the CBD on a Friday night – the only “late night” in the city besides Thursday. (Everything closes by 5 pm every other night, including Saturday and Sunday) The restaurants all smell scrumptious and the streets are brimming with people and clinking glasses of wine and beer. Teenage girls are showing off their hoo-haas in their ridiculously short skirts, and the boys are showing of their lack of, well, everything, in their shorty shorts and tight pink shirts and too-gelled hair.

We ended up seeing 13 assassins, who’s review promised: “It absolutely, undeniably delivers the goods. And those goods are soaked in blood. It's an incredibly violent, insanely entertaining movie that features scores of baddies getting killed by sword, arrow, knife, boiling oil, even a stampede of bulls. Wait, hold on. Not just bulls. Flaming bulls! How can you NOT see a movie with a review like that? It was all in subtitles, but there were, indeed, a couple of flaming bulls, and more blood than the things I discuss in a few more paragraphs…

Saturday we ventured into Port Adelaide for none other than the Port Adelaide Festival. For those of you who have not been to Port Adelaide, don’t feel bad. You really needn’t bother. It is a very country-bumpkin (or “Bogan”, as they say in these parts) town, with not a whole lot goin’ on. Old buildings, docks along the inlet, and a rather sorry looking little metal lighthouse about 2 storeys high. We’d never been though, and the festival was free, and it was sunny outside, and, mainly, there was a train that took us straight there.

We met a very informative beekeeper selling some yummy honey, a lot of weirdos, and went on a tour of Torrens Island – an island that was used as a an old quarantine center for smallpox and the like back in the early 1900’s. It was quite interesting, even more so because our tour guide was from – where else? – Oregon!! What a small world.

All was fine and dandy – a day well spent – until we arrived back in the city where we had to switch trains. There was a bit of a layover, so Chad and I sat on the benches outside the terminal, watching the interesting Adelaide folks… who were turning into zombies.

You think I’m kidding. Check this out: adelaidezombiewalk.weebly.com/ I used the bathroom at the station only to find myself tiptoeing around enormous puddles of blood, and trying to creatively find a way to use the faucet without getting my fingers coated in the stuff. Beside me, a herd of girls were giggling and getting ‘ready’ in torn stippers clothes, wedding gowns, prom dresses, and camo gear. All I could think was “those poor janitors”. We watched hoards alight from the incoming trains. All ages, all costumes, all sorts of makeup. We had no idea at the time what was going on, and only heard whispers of “Zombie Wars”. Talk about bizarre!

Sunday we found ourselves in Yoga, thinking somehow we would do some cardio and a quick workout after the 45 minute class. Let’s just say yoga may not be for us, and leave it at that shall we?

Repatriation General- Week 1

Our alarm went off at 5 am on Monday morning. It was hard to drag ourselves out of bed, but being that it was our first day at Repat (RGH), and we were relying on the bus system, we were able to convince ourselves. We were at the bus stop just after 7, and after stopping at the Marion Shopping Center and waiting for a second bus, we arrived a few blocks from Repat just before 8am.

Michael had brought us on a quick introductory tour of the Veteran’s Hospital the previous Friday, but it still felt as though we were approaching “Little Cuba” (Michael’s colorful descriptor) as we arrived. The Repat is an old military hospital, compiled of tiny little buildings all clumped together over the years. Over here is a sandy orange building with a rustic sign saying “Ward 17”, over there is an identical and equally archaic building with an equally bucolic sign reading “Wards 5-8”. Corrugated iron overhangs the narrow walkways between here and there, and as you wander around a bit you’ll stumble upon some lovely little gardens, rose bushes, pebble pathways, and lots of decks.

It is a sight to behold, and with green, gold, and white colored signs, and dusty orange bricks holding up the roof, it is easy to misjudge the place. It has an old-world, country-outback feel. Each time we go to theatre, we walk through the gardens between buildings, and all the in-patients get to have a “squiz” (Aussie slang for “a look around”) outside in the fresh air as they are brought around from their ward to the imaging building.

This Monday morning, we wound our way around the paths, trying to go from memory exactly how to get to the Imaging Building. After arriving, we got introduced to the staff and got a tour of all the different buildings where we might be working.

We heard more about the staff break room from Michael in our weeks leading up to this switch than I care to admit. The “espresso machine that makes fresh coffee, cappuccinos, and even froths milk” is legendary – and yes, I admit it’s been nice to get a quick cap in the mornings without shelling out a dollar! But they also have an x-ray room with a machine that it quite entirely “automated”. You simply select your patient, the exam is already programmed in, you press a button, and the machine will automatically set itself up for the position… angles and everything! While impressive, I am not too jazzed about this machine – not the best facilitator for learning.

It’s a different feel at Repat as well. It is a relatively small staff compared to Flinders, and you are working with the same people every day. I am quite fond of this idea after working with so many different shift groups for the past few months. It’s nice to have some uniformity! I must say that, for the most part, the staff are all quite delightful as well. And very welcoming to us newcomers!

We were happily thrown into the thick of it right away, and by the end of the week, I had seen some urology theatre work, some oblique spines (the first I’ve seen in the real world!) a barium swallow, AND my first barium enema! Woo-hoo! It’s still taking a bit of adjusting to the new machines (especially that darned automated one!) and for the better part of the week, I felt like a complete newbie all over again – not knowing how to work anything, being completely turned upside down, and having to constantly get assistance ): But… week 2 holds a lot of promise!

Michael had joked that he might not get us back at the end of our 4 weeks- reckoned he might get a call from us saying that we decided to just stick around for a while at Repat. Me? I reckon he might get a call from the staff saying they want us to stick around!

Red Dot, Red Meat, Red Sauce!

Now that we have completed our summer term here in South Australia, I am becoming more familiar with some of the practices and policies that guide the radiographers during day-to-day exams. One of the things that I really find interesting and inspiring is a program called “Red Dot”. I am not clear on the genesis of the program but the concept is interesting. For example, a radiographer images a left elbow and completes the necessary views without seeing anything obvious. The patient is escorted back to where they came from and the radiographer returns to finish the verification process. On closer inspection, the radiographer finds a hairline fracture through the anterior lip of the radial head. The fracture is subtle and offers no clinical signs that might lead to recognition. At this point the Red Dot system dictates that the radiographer would flag the images and let the requesting person know what they might have found. That’s just cool! I think the system is fantastic. It allows the radiographer a chance to exercise systems thinking and add to a patient’s clinical outcome, and it allows the radiologist to have yet another set of fresh eyes to help evaluate without taking anything away from his/her position. Most importantly, it allows the radiographer to continue learning and growing. I find that very inspiring! You can be in a position for 20 something years and still not know everything out there.

I would like to know if anyone in the United States has come across a similar mind set or similar program? Unfortunately my time in clinical settings back in the United States was limited to say the least, and the majority of my experience is now Australian based.

To change the topic completely, Melissa and I have been discussing some of the American things that we miss now that we have been away from home for a few months. Family, friends and our vehicles are all on the list but we do our best not to “winge” too much. That being said, I miss my cheap Dr. Pepper and good ole-fashion American BBQ! There is nothing in this massive world that can come close to the barbeque that we as Americans love. Whether the BBQ is from St Louis, Texas or Kentucky, it’s all fantastic (excluding that North Carolina apple-cider vinegar based garbage of course). And those of you who know me know that I have a bit of a problem with Dr. Pepper. Hello my name is Chad and I am a DP addict and I have been clean for too long! One of my favorite meals would be some good friends, good brisket dripping with a sweat homemade BBQ sauce, and an ice cold Dr. Pepper! The funny thing is that I know that sodas are the devil and I know what they do to a person’s health. But what good is life if you spend it deprived of the finer things! In Australia, I have to pay about three dollars for a DP fix. And that’s for a 12 ounce can, and I have only seen two places in Adelaide that have the things. It’s just wrong.

I better conclude this rambling at go hunt down a Dr. Pepper! Thanks for listening, hope you are all doing well and enjoying smoked meats!

Chad

One Slice of Pie Down

We have successfully made it through ¼ of our externship year here in Australia!! I am proud to say that – and wow! How fast it has gone!! It is incredible to think how much we’ve learned so far – not just about radiography, but about each other, and about ourselves!! 3 months. Where did it go?

I mentioned switching to PM shifts a while back, and that’s how we finished out the term. It was the first time I have ever had to do a PM shift, and for me it was absolutely EXHAUSTING! Week 1 was great – a bit slow for me, but a good exposure to a different pace, and a different atmosphere of the ED in the “after-work” hours. Week 2 started with me getting a bout of Gastro. I don’t believe I have ever had this before, and I couldn’t believe how quickly it swept in, and kicked me on my butt!! I left work quite early, and it took the rest of the week to start feeling better. Ironically, the Gastro bug has been being passed around since a few days before I got it, and is still going!

By week 3, I felt awful – not because I was still feeling sick, but because I was tired of PM’s. Let’s just say there is a reason that employees ROTATE through PM shifts, and don’t do 3 week marathons like we did!! I tried my hardest to keep myself in check, but I couldn’t help but whine a bit about how tired I was, and how ready to go home I was since I started my shift. Shame on me, I know.

Chad on the other hand has had his fair share of PM shifts in his life, with all his military years. He seemed to handle it a bit better than me and did a good job continuing to maintain how much he was enjoying it.

We both really enjoyed seeing a bit more trauma; I got to see some severed toes, some shattered bones, some hand-tool injuries, and some crazy chest x-rays and broken hips and femurs. We learned there really are people drinking and driving on the week-days, and that the monkey bars and footy (football/rugby) are the two most dangerous things at school.

As our PM stretch ended, we also got to take a ‘lil trip over to the Repatriation Hospital (RGH), where Chad and I will be heading for the next 4 weeks. A “Repatriation” Hospital is the equivalent of our “VA” Hospitals stateside. We have been quite excited for this month, looking forward a yet another new environment and the chance to learn new types of equipment and become proficient in handling a new category of patients. Whereas at Flinders, we get all types of patients from premies to bariatrics to geriatrics, the Repatriation Hospital mostly deals with geriatrics, and war Veterans who may have other types of life-long injuries or disabilities.

Thankfully, we get to enjoy a 3-day weekend to try and readjust to waking up at normal hours and going to bed at a decent time before making our first impressions at RGH!

Homesick

At 4 am this morning, I found myself in need of an antacid. As I wavered over the option of leaving the warmth of my cozy sheets, the thought of the Orange flavored Necco-chip that Australians have come to call “Tom’s Tums”, I cringed. The gross aftertaste already on the tip of my tongue. It was at that moment that I hit my first “bump” of externship, and a longing for home crept in. It may sound silly that it was kicked off by the thought of my Extra-Strength Berry Flavored Tums that I have come to love back home, but at 4 am I guess you’re not the most logical.

This “Tums” reminiscing gave way for my Aleve longing to creep back in as well; After going to the gym and seeing an Ultrasound of my still-incredibly-inflamed wrist tendon, I have come to dispise ibuprofen, and was made a bit sad when my mention of “sodium naproxen” pain killer was returned with “yea we don’t have that” responses.

By 4:30, my thoughts had wandered to Halloween, and the facebook update I’d read earlier from my favorite Radio From Hell show back home: ‘Rocky Point Haunted House Opening Weekend’. For those of you who may have wondered – or may not have even thought to wonder – Halloween is not exactly celebrated here. It is a known holiday, and I’ve been told that occasionally you might see some kids in costumes, or maybe you’ll get a kid on your doorstep asking for candy, but it is a rarity. You won’t find decorations at the store (which are already stocked to the rafters with Christmas decorations – more on that in a later posting!) and you won’t see houses decorated with witches and bats and fake spider webs. No carved pumpkins (which are a food here – and a savory one at that! No pumpkin pies or cookies!).

I thought of our decorations sitting at home in my Mum’s basement, and of my sisters in California dressing up in costumes, and the theme parks with their “Haunted rides” and running through corn-mazes in the moonlight with the sounds of screams and chainsaws filling the air. I wondered, would they even know what a corn maze is here?

Lastly I thought of cars and food. My days of being a “vehicle owner” not even on ‘hold’ as I sold my car before I moved here! The bliss of hopping in the car to run to the store, or just driving up through the canyons in Utah singing by yourself. I thought of delicious Costa Vida,Wendy’s, Chinese Food (which of course they have here… but it’s still a bit different), and most of all – BBQ!

I knew it would happen- that they would come – these “bumps” in the road, these homesick moments. But who would have ever guessed it would begin with Tums and Aleve?

Part 2: The Limestone Coast (By Chad)

After leaving the Victor Harbor beachfront Melissa and I drove the short trip to Horseshoe Bay. The small bay is nestled just off the main road and was what I consider to be a perfect swimming or snorkeling beach. I pulled the car into the parking lot and the little kid inside me freaked out! The water was blue and the sand was fine. A few meters off the shore was a rocky island surrounded by a small reef, separating the enclosed bay and the rest of the massive Gulf of St. Vincent.

I tried to remain calm in front of Melissa but all I wanted to do was hit the water. I calmly and collectively strolled down to the waterfront and waited for the ocean to invite me in with a small sneaker wave. As soon as the water touched my feet I was introduced to another Oregon Australian similarity; the water is freezing! I was crushed. Although my day in the water has not yet happened I have been reassured that when the summer heat turns up (soon I hope) the water will warm to tolerable temperatures and I will be in it every day!

After I collected my shattered self, Melissa and hopped back into our borrowed wagon and headed off into the sunset. The next town we had scheduled into our trip was a Scottish town called Strathalbyn, just outside Lake Alexandrina. The drive into the small town gave us a change in scenery. We had enjoyed the lush, green rolling hills outside Adelaide all the way down to Port Elliot and Horseshoe Bay. The road was now flanked by flat, wide-open farmlands mixed with the occasional figure of water stretching up towards the road as a reminder that the lake was only a short distance away. It seemed like the drive into “Strath” took forever.

The town was pleasant to see with ancient looking churches and buildings tucked in among a meandering creek. We even had the chance to stop in and grab a snack from a Swedish bakery. That’s right: a Swedish bakery with a Swedish chef in a Scottish town in South Australia! The world is truly a small place. After eating one of the richest pieces of carrot cake I have ever eaten, we hit the road again. If the road to Strath was a little less than exciting, the next stretch of road was downright dull. We intended to drive the entire stretch of 394 km to our next destination, a town called Mount Gambier.

The road took us along the Coorong National Park and along some desolate stretches of highway. The drive really reminded me of some random highway in Oregon or maybe some roads along the way to Utah. We reached Mount Gambier just as my mind official left me and everything was becoming funny and annoying all at once. We stopped at the first hotel we happen to cross and got a room for the night. I can’t recall the name of the place but it was obvious that the building was once an old office building. Our room seemed franticly slapped together with a bathroom that didn’t fit at all. The walls seemed paper thin and we both found it really hard to sleep.

The next morning we set off to explore the town and find a better place to call home for the night. Mount Gambier is an interesting small town set amongst crater lakes, sinkholes and caves. Unfortunately Melissa and I had to keep our spending to a minimum and we didn’t get to see all the caves in the area because of costs.

One aspect of Australia that I really enjoy is that you can always find old and very old style buildings hidden in each town you visit and Mount Gambier was no exception. We stopped in the middle of town to check out a Hotel–slash-pub–slash-restaurant that looked turn of the century on the outside and modern and bright on the inside.

Just up the street from the building was a large sinkhole that opened up into a cave. The town had obviously adapted to the regions unique landscape; taking great strides to make those things into safe and interesting tourist attractions. The highlight of the town is the Blue Lake that sits just a few streets above the town. The rain had begun to fall heavy and Melissa and I didn’t get too much time at the lake. The Blue Lake was very similar to Crater Lake back home in Oregon. The Australian version is much smaller with a lot more trees surrounding the rim, but offers the same unique mystical deep blue color (even in the pouring rain).

Another attraction in Mt. Gambier is a sinkhole called the Umpherston Sinkhole. Just on the edge of town, in a little park, is an enormous gaping sinkhole, with lush green foliage hanging around the edges and – of all things- two palm trees reaching from the bottom high into the sky. Melissa had been looking forward to feeding some “cute” (and by cute I mean hideous) possums that our travel guide promised would come out in the evening. Luckily the rain picked up, and we “sadly” had to pass up the opportunity.

Our last night in town we decided to treat ourselves to a good old-fashioned Australian steak dinner (I miss my steak and cake nights). We ended up eating at a place called the Barn. The restaurant is known for its local produce, wines, and grass fed beef. Being unfamiliar with gram measurements, I ended up with a massive 800 gram (about 28.2 ounces) of pure Australian grass fed deliciousness. Needless to say I couldn’t finish the thing (Sean would be disappointed if he heard that).

Early the next day, we once again climbed into our bucket seats, not really looking forward to the 5 ½ hour drive home. Aside from a stop at Telford Scrub Conservation park (a thick forested area about 14km from Mt. Gambier were, we had been told, we could see some koalas, and after wandering around for an hour we didn’t see anything but a few birds!) it was even more mind-numbingly dull than the previous scenery. We couldn’t even find a town to grab lunch in, and rolled into Adelaide in the late evening with our stomachs starting to digest themselves.

I never thought I would say it, but after this trip – albeit a lovely break from work, and a gorgeous introduction to some of our nearby beaches – I was looking forward to not driving anymore!